The First International Nitrogen Conference was held in Noordwijkerhout, Th
e Netherlands from 23 to 27 March 1998. The Conference provided an opportun
ity for researchers and decision-makers to come together to exchange inform
ation on environmental pollution by nitrogen compounds at three levels: glo
bal, continental/regional and local. The main topics were air, groundwater
and surface water pollution; emission sources, atmospheric chemistry, depos
ition processes and effects; disturbance of nitrogen cycles, critical loads
and levels; assessments, policy development and evaluation; target groups
and abatement techniques; and new approaches leading to an integrated abate
ment strategy. This paper attempts to capture briefly the highlights of the
conference presentations and discussions, most of which are published here
.